‘Irresponsible’ schools assessment by Council member challenged

Thursday

Jul 11, 2013 at 7:38 PM

Oak Ridge City Council listened to more than a dozen residents and students Monday night who expressed concerns related to an open letter from first-term Council member Trina Baughn to recently hired Oak Ridge School Superintendent Bruce Borchers.

Beverly Majors/Staff

Oak Ridge City Council listened to more than a dozen residents and students Monday night who expressed concerns related to an open letter from first-term Council member Trina Baughn to recently hired Oak Ridge School Superintendent Bruce Borchers.

Relying heavily on a memo to Oak Ridge City Council from Oak Ridge Police Chief Jim Akagi dated May 9, Baughn’s letter cites examples of how “Oak Ridge School staff has been reluctant at best — and in some instances obstructive — in their interaction with Oak Ridge Police Department personnel.”

Baughn’s letter goes on to state that “a culture of terror” has saturated the Oak Ridge School System “and it is so powerful that rather than fight, teachers leave quietly in droves at year end and parents discreetly move their children into private or home schools.”

The Councilwoman shared those same concerns on the Hallerin Hilton Hill Show on News Talk 98.7 radio in Knoxville for the better part of an hour Monday morning, followed by interviews from her Oak Ridge home with two Knoxville television stations.

During a 2 p.m. Monday “press briefing” announced earlier in the day by Oak Ridge Mayor Tom Beehan and School Board Chairman Keys Fillauer, Baughn’s comments were countered during a 15-minute presentation at Oak Ridge High School that garnered the attention of some 65 or so attendees — including several representatives of the Knoxville media, local teachers, city and school officials, and Anderson County politicos.

“I stand here today to let our community know that we will not be guided by an inaccurate portrayal of our school system,” School Board chief Fillauer remarked in a prepared statement.

In his own prepared statement, Mayor Beehan remarked, “I have seen no evidence that we face any more problems than any other school system.

“Teenagers are going through difficult times and, yes, there will be issues. But I have seen nothing at all to suggest the culture of fear she alludes to.”

***

The 15 people who addressed Council members on Monday night included students, parents and residents, who also disagreed with Baughn on what she has described as a school safety issue.

Businessman Charles Washington Jr. told Council he heard Baughn’s comments on Monday’s talk radio program. The 1976 Oak Ridge High School graduate and senior class president said the school system is “something I hold dear.”

“I encourage all of you to be more careful about what you say about the only diamond we have,” Washington said of Oak Ridge schools.

Resident Chuck Agle, who sits on the City’s Planing Commission board and is the husband of Oak Ridge School Board member Angi Agle, asked City Council to censure Baughn. He said Baughn “uses public safety as an excuse” to voice her opinion.

Agle said Oak Ridge schools rank as one of the highest in the nation on academics, citing the high school’s robotics team and its national merit scholars. “Baughn’s misrepresentation of facts are not what we need,” he said.

Students who spoke all disagreed with Baughn’s assessment of the Oak Ridge School System’s culture and said they weren’t in fear when inside school facilities — with one young man stating the local high school is “the most acceptable school” he has attended.

Another student said when he read Baughn’s column, “I didn’t know what school system was being described.”

Linda Andrus, resident, mother and schools staff member, said Baughn was also incorrect when she wrote that teachers “were leaving in droves because of fear.”

She said teachers are leaving the schools in droves because of frustration regarding state requirements such as testing and re-testing “instead of what they do best … teach.”

She called Baughn “irresponsible.”

Another student said she was “very offended” by Baughn’s commentary.

School Board member Dan DiGregorio said, “Everyone is entitled to his own opinion,” adding, however, that the Council and School Board members were elected by the same citizens and “shouldn’t be stepping on each other’s toes.”

“We all work in the same city and all want the same things,” DiGregorio suggested. He said that “every time we go backward,” we run the risk of either running into something or turning into pillars of salt.

DiGregorio said he had met “one-on-one” with most of the Council members — including Baughn — on a “variety of subjects” and encouraged those talks to continue.

Resident Joe Lee, a graduate of the Oak Ridge High School Class of 1970, stated: “The school was great then and it’s great now.” He said many of his family members are teachers and his daughters were all Oak Ridge High School graduates.

He said he was “disappointed” in Baughn, stating her comments were “absolutely inexcusable.”

“I’m beyond disappointed, but disgusted,” Lee said. “Ms. Baughn, get a grip on the facts because you don’t have it now, honey.”

Baughn, as well as other Council members, made no comments on the issue because residents spoke during the time assigned to public comment on the Council’s agenda. Council members normally don’t comment or become part of discussions dealing with issues that aren’t on their agenda.

Beverly Majors can be contacted at (865) 220-5514.

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